Little House On The Prairie Made A Glam Gaffe During A 1978 Episode
These days, TV crews on series that depict a different time or place must strictly control the artifacts of 21st-century life on the set. Who can forget the scandal about the Starbucks cup that went unnoticed on the screen until an episode of "Game of Thrones" went on air? Back when "Little House on the Prairie" was in production in the '70s and '80s, however, nobody flinched when historical inaccuracies, from braces on the youngsters' teeth to federally regulated hot air balloons, appeared on the show. By the same token, a manicure that's still trendy in summer 2026 ended up in a 1978 episode.
In Season 5, Episode 9, "The Wedding," Adam Kendall finally proposes to Laura Ingalls's older sister, Mary. When Mary, played by Melissa Sue Anderson, throws her arms around him in acceptance, the French tips filed to a narrow square at the ends of her fingers are clearly visible. "Melissa Gilbert had the acrylics, Melissa Sue had the acrylics, they all had the French tips," co-star Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson, confirmed on the "Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Pod." It's definitely not a look she would have sported in settler times.
Modern hair and makeup slipped into Little House on the Prairie, too
That wasn't the only 20th-century beauty moment that made its way into that little house, or even the only nail augmentation. In a scene from Season 7, Episode 20, "I Do, Again," Laura's husband briefly takes her hand, revealing not only nails that are obviously painted but a bare middle fingernail that's much shorter than the rest, suggesting she lost an acrylic. Reddit user PumpkinSpiceSaturday also noted that Gilbert wore increasingly dark eyeliner and mascara and even blue eyeshadow as the series progressed.
It wasn't just the ladies, either. Reddit user SpacePeanutButterJam pointed out that Michael Landon's manscaped chest and curly feathered hair weren't totally convincing on Pa Ingalls, who almost certainly would have also had a beard. That, at least, appears to be something Netflix producers have fixed when these classic books got a fresh on-screen adaptation in 2026. Luke Bracey's beard still looks far better groomed than Pa could have pulled off, but it's an improvement.